La fin de l’été by Frédéric Costantino

La fin de l’été comes to us from another little-known French-born composer, Frédéric Constantino. He has an intriguing life with the guitar in many facets. He plays both classical, electric, and bass professionally. His travels have influenced his works. You can read more about his journey through his biography on the Doberman Editions website.

Publications of La fin de l’été

The small piece played here comes from the collection titled Sept Ballades Enchantees for solo guitar. This translates roughly to, “Seven Enchanted Ballads”. There is no doubt that these pieces are small (read small as short). The length, however, does not take away from the purpose or musicality that they offer. Each one has a character all their own. Just to sit and play through them is a joy for even advanced players.

About The Piece

This piece falls in the Royal Conservatory level of Preparatory. Typical of beginning pieces, the key remains in A minor throughout the short eight measures. I play it with free strokes but many beginners might find playing with rest strokes more appealing. The image of The End of Summer (translation of the title) comes to mind as you listen to the phrasing.

Check out some of our other articles:

• 3 Things I Am Learning From Beginner Guitar Scales in Open Position
• Mastering the Art: Better Judging of Yourself While Practicing Guitar
• Electronic Guitar Tuner And The Cost
• Exercise 13 by Elías Barreiro
• Petit Poney By Yvon Demillac

Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. These can provide compensation to us at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. You can read my affiliate disclosure in my privacy policy.

Chadwick Becks

I have two degrees in guitar performance and was privileged to study under Aaron Shearer, Tom Kikta, David Skantar, Ken Karsh, Tim Bedner, and currently Christopher Berg. Outside my editorial work on this blog, I teach full-time across many genres including classical, jazz, blues, rock, funk, and metal.